A Good Sport

Louisville media man highlights Catholic achievements

Catholic sports have a reputation for excellence on the high school and college levels. Anxious to bring this good news to the internet, Steve Fehder created the website CatholicSportsNet, which features scores, standings, photos and profiles.

Fehder, 51 years old, is a media veteran and senior advisor to the Triad Broadcasting Company. He and his wife, Kathy, are also involved in the social works of the Church, founding Blanket Louisville, which helps homeless and other needy persons.

Steve and Kathy Fehder with their five adopted children.

The couple lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with their five adopted children: Maria, 18, from Peru; Anna, 12, from Colombia, and three from Guatemala, Chris, 15; Elena, 13, and Mark, 11.

Fehder spoke to Fathers for Good about his sports background and faith.

Fathers for Good: What got you to start a Catholic sports website?

Fehder: I saw 70 million Catholics in the U.S., a dominance of Catholic athletic programs in many regards, and an incredible tradition and passion that did not have a dedicated professional media resource exclusively for Catholic sports. We created a business that would be primarily web-based and would have a national and local presence.

The national site, www.catholicsportsnet.com, was launched in July 2010, and our local model, www.louisvillecatholicsports.com, in September 2010. Our goal is to be a true sports news site, focusing only on Catholic sports, highlighting on and off-the-field contributions of student athletes and programs, game coverage, ranking and recruiting information, and feature stories, all covered in a positive venue that promotes the virtues of faith, courage, loyalty, respect and teamwork. The response has been fantastic at all levels and we just completed our plan to start expanding into other Catholic markets across the United States.

FFG: Who are your sports heroes?

Fehder: My true sports hero would be Pope John Paul II, who was an amateur athlete and sports fan, and who promoted the values of Catholic sports and sportsmanship. I have many great sports role models who are Catholic and a few that are not, but are still true Christian leaders: Vince Lombardi, Coach K, Tim Tebow, Drew Brees, David Eckstein, and Troy Polamalu, to name a few.

FFG: As a father, how should sports work into family life?

Fehder: Sports allow for great family time and bonding, whether actively participating, watching on TV or in the stands. I have used a lot of sports analogies over the years as teaching and training tools at work, and I love when I get to use them with the kids at home. If sports are not promoted and taught with the proper values, it can have a negative impact, but in the right, positive environment, sports teach virtues of leadership, discipline, teamwork, loyalty, and perseverance.

FFG: What did you think of the Super Bowl with the Packers and Steelers?

Fehder: It was a great game, and we had a lot of fun as a family watching the game. Two teams with fantastic traditions and from two strong Catholic cities. What more could you ask for? I thought Aaron Rodgers showed great composure and leadership skills. The NFL gets a high five for showcasing the military and the community involvement of the players.